The invention relates to a strut for reinforcing a vehicle body and a front end module for a vehicle.
It is known in the prior art in general that reinforcing struts are used in motor vehicles to stabilize and/or reinforce the body. Such reinforcing struts are installed inside the engine compartment in particular to increase the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body in this region. The publication DE 199 28 588 A1 shows one such example. The reinforcing struts disclosed in this publication run from a central region of the vehicle body, located beneath the front windshield, to the suspension strut mounts, where the reinforcing struts are attached either directly to the suspension strut mounts or to a strut brace connecting the suspension strut mounts.
As this also shows, different struts are provided between points on the vehicle body to increase their rigidity.
If high demands are to be met regarding the rigidity of the vehicle body, this leads to assembly of a plurality of struts and also other reinforcing elements and therefore to a greater weight of the vehicle and more work in its assembly.
The object of the invention is to provide a strut that improves a vehicle body, which will make it possible to reinforce the vehicle body well in a lightweight design.
This and other objects are achieved with a strut according to embodiments of the invention for reinforcing a vehicle body of a vehicle, in particular an engine compartment, wherein the strut includes: a first fastening section and a second fastening section for fastening the strut onto the vehicle body, and additional fastening sections for additional fastening of the strut to points in the vehicle. The additional fastening sections are provided between the first and second fastening sections. The strut has a profile that includes at least two vertices between the first fastening section and the second fastening section.
The basic idea of the invention is to create a strut having a profile such that the strut connects various points on the vehicle and, at the same time, assumes various partial functions due to the specific profile.
A strut according to an embodiment of the invention for reinforcing the vehicle body of a vehicle has a first fastening section and a second fastening section for fastening the strut on the vehicle body. The strut is fastened onto lateral support brackets of the vehicle body by way of the first and second fastening sections, for example.
Additional fastening sections for additional fastening of the struts at various points in the vehicle are located between the first and second fastening sections, wherein the strut has a profile with at least two vertices between the first fastening section and the second fastening section.
Due to the fact that the strut has at least two vertices, the strut runs in different sections of the vehicle body and/or at different points in the vehicle and can be attached there by use of the additional fastening sections. The struts and/or their subsections therefore take over various functions and/or stability functions, which is why the body is reinforced well by providing the strut according to the invention.
Furthermore, due to the specific profile of the strut, the number of stability elements, such as struts and shear fields, to be installed can be reduced, which permits weight savings and a lightweight design.
The profile of the strut is, in particular, a profile, which the strut follows in the installed state—projected onto an X-Y plane (the X direction corresponds to the intended direction of travel of the vehicle; the Y direction corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, i.e., the transverse direction or the width direction).
The additional fastening sections are preferably each provided on one of the at least two vertices.
In addition, the profile of the strut preferably also has three vertices, one of the additional fastening sections being arranged on each of these vertices. In this way, the profile of the strut has an M shape or a W shape, wherein the strut can be fastened at the vertices in corresponding points in the vehicle to reinforce the vehicle body.
Due to this design of the strut, different desired force flow paths in particular can be implemented.
For example, one of the three vertices forms a middle vertex, through which an axis of symmetry of the strut runs. The first leg sections extend from the middle vertex in the direction of the remaining vertices, and the second leg sections extend from the remaining vertices to the first and/or second fastening section(s).
The first leg sections are preferably of such dimensions that the additional fastening section located on the middle vertex can be attached to a front end module of the vehicle, and the additional fastening sections, which are positioned on the remaining vertices, can be fastened in the area of the suspension strut mounts of the vehicle.
The second leg sections are preferably of such dimensions that the first fastening section and the second fastening section can each be fastened to a lateral support bracket of the vehicle body.
Due to this design of the strut according to the invention, forces acting on the front end module of the motor vehicle, for example, in a collision can be directed over the first leg sections in the direction of the suspension strut mounts.
The second leg sections preferably take over the function of reinforcing the vehicle body to the extent that it fulfills the requirements in a crash with little overlap.
Consequently, the strut according to the invention assumes multiple partial functions, wherein this is only one single element to be installed.
To further improve the introduction of force into the vehicle body, the strut may have additional fastening sections between the middle vertex and the remaining vertices in the first leg sections, such that the struts can be fastened as intended onto a reference strut connecting the lateral support brackets.
The strut is designed, for example, from a base body, which defines the profile, wherein the first and second fastening sections and the additional fastening sections are integrated into this base body. The additional fastening sections are preferably also integrated into the base body.
In this way the entire strut may be designed to be in one piece.
To reduce the weight of the strut, the base body is preferably designed of a fiber-plastic composite material in one piece. For this material, it is possible to use, for example, glass fibers, which can be enclosed in a plastic, for example, a thermosetting plastic resin (e.g., polyester resin UP or epoxy resin) or enclosed in a thermoplastic (e.g., polyamide).
However, the fibers to be used may also include carbon fibers embedded in a plastic matrix, for example, of thermosetting plastics (epoxy resin) or thermoplastics.
The strut is manufactured in a resin transfer molding method, abbreviated RTM, for example.
The strut preferably also forms a part of a front end body according to the invention, which is provided for a front end module. A front end module is a structure, which preferably holds elements such as headlights, radiator grill, etc., and is brought up to the vehicle and fastened there during assembly for finishing the front end region.
A front end body has the strut according to the invention, wherein this strut is preferably fastened to a front cross strut with the additional fastening section being located on the middle vertex and the additional fastening sections being fastenable at certain points in the vehicle.
A preferred specific embodiment of the strut and of a front end body is explained below.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.